by ANGELA KOCHERGA
WFAA Border Bureau
CLINT, Texas — A small West Texas town could become the site of the largest shelter in the country for unaccompanied children from Central America.
The plan to shelter 3,500 kids in Clint — a quiet community just southeast of El Paso — has many townspeople asking questions.
“I received a lot of calls on it,” said Clint Mayor Dale Reinhardt. “A lot of people are concerned. As I tell them, we don’t know all the particulars."
A New York-based company has filed an application with the Texas Department of Health and Human Services to open the Abraham Lincoln Transitional Lodge to provide “residential services for migrant children.”
The Texas Department of Health and Human Services is reviewing the company’s application, and the federal government would have to approve and sign a contract for allow the kids to be cared for at the shelter.
Many in this small town are concerned about what 3,500 children would mean for the community with a population of 926.
“I hate to see them try to cram 3,500 kids in that area up there," said feed store owner Larry Webb. "Even if they have a nice facility, it could be a problem."
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